Typically, STAs are not allowed to transmit data packets directly to other STAs in a Basic Service Set (BSS) and, instead, must always rely on the AP for the delivery of the data packets. However, STAs with a quality of service (QoS) facility, (i.e., QSTAs), may transmit data packets directly to another QSTA by establishing a data transfer using a DLS. The IEEE 802.11e standard is associated with the support of QoS features such as service differentiation, block acknowledgement (ACK) and DLS. The STAs that support these IEEE 802.11e features are referred as QSTAs. Similarly, an AP that supports these IEEE 802.11e features is referred to as a QAP. The need for the DLS is motivated by the fact that the intended recipient STA may be in a power save mode, whereby the recipient QSTA may only be activated, (i.e., awakened), by an AP with a QoS facility, (i.e., QAP). The DLS exchanges a rate set and other information between a transmitter in one QSTA and a receiver in another QSTA. DLS messages may be used to attach security information elements (IEs).